Vinyl Click Flooring

How click vinyl works

Each plank has a profiled edge that angles into the next plank and locks with a firm click along the long side and a fold-down or tap-in joint at the short end. The planks hold each other, not the subfloor, so the whole floor floats and can expand and contract freely. That is why click vinyl needs a small expansion gap at the walls and must never be fixed down, even under heavy units.

How to choose vinyl click flooring

Rigid core: SPC or WPC

SPC has a dense stone-plastic core: very stable when the room heats up or cools down, resistant to dents and good at bridging small bumps. WPC has a lighter, foamed core that feels softer, warmer and quieter. Both are water-resistant.

Wear layer

About 0.3mm suits bedrooms and living rooms; choose 0.5mm or more for kitchens, hallways, pets and children.

Thickness and underlay

Thicker click vinyl feels more solid and hides small dips better; thinner planks keep the floor height down at doors. If the planks have underlay attached, do not add another; if not, use a thin, firm LVT underlay, never a thick, soft laminate underlay, which lets the joints flex and break.

Look

Look for many different plank designs (fewer repeats), bevelled edges for a real-plank look, and embossed texture that follows the grain. Wide and long planks make a room feel bigger.

Where click vinyl works best

Almost everywhere in the home: kitchens, bathrooms (with the edges sealed), hallways, living rooms and bedrooms. Very hot, sunny conservatories need a product rated for heat. Very large rooms or floors running through several rooms may need expansion breaks, which the instructions explain.

Fitting click vinyl

1. Let the packs acclimatise flat in the room, typically 24 to 48 hours.
2. Check the subfloor is clean, dry and flat within the maker’s tolerance; fill dips and overlay old floorboards with plywood or hardboard.
3. Lay the underlay (unless attached) and, on concrete, a damp proof membrane if the maker requires one.
4. Start along the longest straight wall, with the small expansion gap the product asks for, and stagger the end joints by at least 30cm.
5. Cut planks by scoring with a sharp knife and snapping; mix planks from several packs.
6. Finish edges with scotia beading or skirting and doorways with threshold strips.

Our installation guides cover straight-plank and herringbone click vinyl, and our measuring guide helps you order the right amount (add about 5% for waste).

Common mistakes to avoid

• Fixing kitchen units or the floor itself down, which stops it moving.
• Adding a second underlay under planks with one attached.
• Laying over an uneven subfloor; click vinyl bridges small bumps, not large dips.

Click vinyl room by room

Kitchens: a 0.5mm wear layer and an SPC core; fit up to the units. Bathrooms: seal the expansion gap and every edge with a flexible sealant once the floor is down. Hallways: a hard-wearing wear layer and a good door mat. Living rooms and bedrooms: attached acoustic underlay keeps the floor quiet, especially upstairs.